Digital Avionics-The Best is yet to Come!!!

This paper reviews some of the history and background of digital avionics and offers some tantalizing possibilities for the future. There are payoffs in many areas from digital avionics; however, the ultimate benefits are increased mission effectiveness and lower costs. Two major U. S. Air Force avionics programs designed to increase mission effectiveness are reviewed. Major barriers to the expanded use of digital avionics in civil transports as a means to lower operating costs are examined. The paper also examines lightning effects, architectures, optical components, displays, and voice interactive control which are current research areas that promise to yield significant advances for digital avionics systems. Finally, in a notice of optimism, it is concluded that the best is yet to come. As good as contemporary avionics are, we have only begun to visualize their ultimate potential.